A FatherDaughter Promise
by Little Tsu
Summary: A look into the past of a young trainer...& the promises that she & her father had made...Promises that not even something as binding as death...was able to break in the end.


_Little Tsu: Ok, I haven' stopped my other fanfics, I **will **get them done eventually, but this was something that crossed my mind. We know how Kira found her Sneasel, Shadow as a child, but...this here is a different piece of her past...This might make you people tear, it might not, but this is the story of the last time Kira saw her father...And the promises they made to each other._

_**A Father/Daughter Promise**_

Snowpoint City...It's been so long since I had last visited my hometown. In fact,...ever since I had left there to begin on my pokemon journey and then even won the badge there from the gym,  
>this will be my first time coming back in the last three years...I feel...that it should've been longer...That I should just prolong this before...No...I have to face this...I have to see that place before I leave for yet another new region...As I walk along through the show that came up past my boots - flurries falling all around myself and Shadow -, it's hard not to remember that day.<br>...The day...that changed my life forever...

**{six years ago; 3rd person}**

"Kira. Why don't you go out and play with the other kids? You can bring Shadow along with you. I'm sure they'd all let you join them."

Glancing up from the table that she was sitting at was a small girl of perhaps only seven years. Her chocolate brown eyes stood out against her long blue green hair, which halted to about her mid back. Her father always gushed about how cute and adorable she was...Not that she minded, but it tended to be a bit embarrassing. Especially, when he gushed about it in public. Sighing softly to herself, she gave the man that was standing over the stove a slightly deflated look. "But daddy...None of the children like me...They always seem ta avoid me and...I don' even know why. Is it...  
>cause I'm different?...Am I wierd daddy?"<p>

Halting in his work with cooking, the young man, who appeared to be in his thiries, though he looked younger than that, turned around to bring his own chocolate brown gaze onto his daughter.  
>His hair was of the same shade as the little girl's, but held a short, spiky style to it that made him look younger. Setting the spatula down onto the slate marble counter, he walked over to Kira's side and knelt down in front of her after turning the chair she sat in around to face him. Resting his hands on her legs through her cargo shorts, he gave the small girl a stern look. "Kira...You are anything but wierd. You have an amazing gift and I know for a fact that there are many people out there that would give just about anything to beable to talk to pokemon and actually understand them...Shadow is also special. After all,...it's not everyday that you find a pokemon that was capable of being taught human speach."<p>

Seeing that his daughter was still a bit depressed about all of this, he sighed softly to himself and lifted a hand up towards her face, cupping his daughter's cheek affectionately as he smiled lovingly up at her. "Listen Kira...You have nothing to be sad about nor ashamed of, ok?...If those kids out there refuse to play with you because of this, then that just means they are only jealous of your ability...They don't deserve to be your friend if they don't accept you for this, ok?"

Kira was silent for a moment as she muled the wise words that her father spoke to her with for a moment, but then finally smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah...Ok. Thank you daddy. And ya know what? You're right. I don' need friends like that and plus...I got Shadow and he's my _best_ friend." Glancing over at the male Sneasel that possessed icy blue eyes and crimson claws, she smiled brightly towards him before bringing her gaze back onto the man that was still smiling and knelt in front of her. "I'm gonna go outside and play now. I'll be back by dinner though, kay?" When her father nodded his head and rose up onto his feet, she pushed herself off of the chair she was seated in and hurried to the door that would lead them outside, slipping her brown snow boots on as well as her pale blue hooded jacket.

As she rested a small hand onto the doorknob though, she halted and glanced behind her through the kitchen. "And daddy?" She remained silent after that until she saw the man step into the open path of the kitchen, letting the girl know that she had his attention as he stared at her with a gentle gaze. "When I'm old enough and I leave on my pokemon journies,...you'll be cheerin' me on,  
>right?...And you'll always be here waitin' for me for when I come back home?"<p>

The young man blinked slightly as he seemed a bit surprised by these questions. He honestly figured that such things were incredibly simple to answer for herself. A soft chuckle then escaped his lips before he smiled cheerfully towards her. "Of course. What kind of father would I be if I didn't cheer my own little girl on? You'll become one of the greatest trainers in all the regions someday Kira...And I'll be here waiting for you with open arms when you return the day that you finally do."

Blushing slightly at hearing this, Kira finally grinned brightly and nodded her head before hurrying off out the door to go play; her sneasel, Shadow following close behind. Her father was right. She didn't need to be friends with any of the kids in her hometown. She had Shadow and even her father to keep her company and that was good enough for her. "Come on Shadow! Lets go ta the forest and play. We'll pretend that we're already going on our pokemon journies." Glancing behind herself from over her shoulder at the dark and ice type, she beamed cutely when she saw him nod his head in agreement and even smile back. He didn't talk much, but that was only because he liked having his actions speak more for him right now, though that'd probably change once he evolved.

As time seemed to pass by quickly for them, Kira glanced up at the sky, seeing that the sun was beginning to set. She needed to be heading home now for dinner. Plus, the forest tended to get scary at night anyways. Pushing herself up onto her feet and brushing the snow off of her jacket, she began to make her trek back home. However, this time, she was actually holding Shadow's claws in her little hand, giving her a sense of protection as they made their way back. It allowed her to know that her pokemon would always be at her side no matter what.

Upon finally arriving back into Snowpoint City, she sighed softly to herself at the sight of the lights around her and smiled softly. However,...her relaxing didn't last long as a shout out towards her from up ahead caused her to glance up, only to have her eyes widen in shock. A Magmortar came charging towards her with a fierce look in his eyes before suddenly unleashing a Fire Blast right at her. Releasing a startled cry, both her and Shadow quickly dodged out of the way, but unlike her pokemon, she hit the snow covered ground. Lifting her head from the ground, her gaze fell onto the back of her sneasel. He was standing there between herself and the huge pokemon before them, protecting her. "Sh-Shadow..."

Before she could say anything more, Shadow rushed in towards the rampaging pokemon and leaped up with the tips of his crimson claws glinting slightly as he was about to lash out with Slash. However, as he managed to land a hit on the Magmortar's face with his Slash attack, leaving nasty claw marks over the pokemon's left eye, he was smashed into with a Fire Punch, knocking him for a loop, and crashing into the ground below with a strangled out cry of pain.

Kira's eyes widened as this happened, but then quickly scrambled up onto her feet as she rushed over to her fallen pokemon's side and held him closely despite his weak struggles to get loose and try to continue fighting in order to protect the small girl. Glancing up a little bit, she saw the huge pokemon looming before them as it held out their arm, which the mouth of the cannon there began to glow orange. Quickly clenching her eyes tightly shut, she held Shadow all the more closely as she released a terrified scream, thinking this was the end for her. However, after a moment had past, she never felt the attack. Wondering what had happened, Kira slowly opened up her eyes and glanced up, only to have them widen in horror at the sight before her. "...Daddy."

The man towering above her flinched in pain as he slowly peeked one eye open as he gazed down at his daughter; his back turned towards the Magmortar that had just now been returned by its trainer, who finally caught up, but a moment too late. "Heheh...Good thing I came out to look for you when I did after I saw that you weren't back yet...I almost...lost my...little girl there." His eyes then clenched tightly shut in pain before finally collapsing onto the snowy ground, landing on first his knees and then finally falling onto his side in front of his daughter, cringing in pain.

Panicking now, Kira quickly crawled over to her father and rested her hands on his side, trying to shake him gently, begging him to open his eyes, only to gasp at the feel of something warm on her hands. Slowly pulling them back, her eyes widened at the sight of them covered in blood. It was only then, that she started to notice that the snow around him was also slowly being soaked in the crimson liquid. "...D-Daddy?" Quickly glancing back down at her father's face, she saw a weak smile play onto his features as he flinched in pain once more when he forced himself to turn over to lay on his back. Keeping her blood covered hands away from him, she stared down at her beaten father with unshed tears in her eyes while people were slowly beginning to gather, whispering back and forth to one another while a few others had gone off to get help.

Slowly opening his left eye a tiny bit, he gazed up at his teary-eyed daughter and chuckled weakly. "Hey...Don't look so sad...Kira...It doesn't suit you." A pained cough wracked through his entire body, causing him to gasp faintly from the pain of it, but then relaxed again as he glanced tiredly over at the small girl and the sneasel that was sitting on his knees as well at her side. "...K-Kira...You have to...be strong for daddy,...ok?...Shadow will...be here to...protect you...L-Listen to me...I promise you...Kira...I'll always be here...I'll be waiting...Just like...I promised...Make your daddy proud...Kira." It was then that silence fell all around them.

Alarming the small girl at this, she hesitantly reached out with her bloody hands and began gently shaking her father's body. "...Daddy?...Daddy, come on...Wake up...Ya gotta wake up. We...We need ta go home...D-Daddy?"

_Daddy...?_

**{Present; 1st person}**

Sighing softly to myself, I lift my hand and wipe away my tears that threatened ta fall with the sleeve of my pale blue hooded jacket. Upon finally arriving at my destination, I see a tombstone before me and slowly make my way towards it. Knelt down in front of the slate marbled work, I lifted a black fingerless gloved hand and brush it along the top of the stone, freeing it temporarily of the snow flurries before running my fingertips along what was carved into the marble.

**Aiden Lyon **

**1973-2005 **

**A brave man **

**And an even greater father **

**May he rest in peace**

Staring sadly at the words carved there, I release another shuddering sigh before reaching into my orange bag and pulling out two pictures. One was of myself at the age of seven while seated on my father's shoulders and Shadow standing next ta him with his arms crossed over his chest; a cocky smirk on his features. The other picture was of myself about a month ago, standing with the Sinnoh Champion and my team as I was congradulated for winning the Sinnoh League.

Slowly rising up onto my feet after thinking about the past along with my journies for a moment longer, I turn around as I began to make my way further away from the grave and away from Snowpoint City. As I did though, a breeze blew through my short, spiky hair, which I had styled in the same fashion as my dad's. Halting once I was about ten yards or so away from the grave, I turn halfway around ta give it one last look, only ta have my chocolate brown eyes widen at the sight before me. My father stood there at his grave, smiling at me in the same fashion as he had in the pathway of the kitchen that day.

Smiling back as tears once again filled the corners of my eyes, I watched as he nodded his head once before finally vanishing in a gust of wind and snow flurries. Turning back around, I tilted my head down as the tears fell. After a moment, I lift my hand and wipe away the tears before glancing over at Shadow, who had been a Weavile for the past three years, and nodded my head firmly before we both walked off with my head held high and a determined smile on my face as well as that same determination in my eyes.

My journey's not over yet daddy...But that doesn' matter right now...You're still watching over me and now I know, even now, you're waiting for me for when I finally come home after I become that trainer ya always wanted me ta be.

Just you watch daddy...I'll become the greatest trainer ever!

**{3rd person}**

As Kira walks off with her pokemon, Shadow following loyaly at her side, back at the grave, the pictures stood on either side of the tombstone in front of it, but within the picture that had been taken only a month ago, something about it had changed...A young man in his thirties with closed eyes, short, spiky blue green hair, and a wide, cheeky grin now stood in the picture while his hand had been pressed down a bit on top of Kira's head as if he had been ruffling her hair. In the top right hand corner of said picture, the words "I'm very proud of you Kira." appeared as well.

Even in death,...her father never left her side.

_**END.**_

__Little Tsu: Well, that's the end of it...Personally, I think this came out really well so I was proud about this. Anyways, please review & lemme know how it was, kay? Thank you!__


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